As might be expected, when Epic Systems began its search for a new business solution they started out by evaluating software packages offered by US companies.  After a failed attempt to meet their needs using local vendors, Epic decided to compare US developed solutions with those offered internationally and, thanks to Star's initial overtures to the US market at that time, discovered Greentree (who were recently recognised as one of 25 global rising stars by MIS magazine).

Operating from ten locations across the USA, Epic Systems specialises in the sale, rental, lease and repair of decommissioned, off-lease and consigned computer hardware and peripherals from major producers such as Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems. The company now has licences for 32 Greentree users.

Epic replaced its US-based accounting system as "it had run out of steam" for the US$16 million ($28.5 million) turnover firm. Epic president and founder Paul Daniels, says the system has to handle 36,000 separate pieces of inventory at any one time, being turned over eight times a year.

The Greentree software replaces an accounting package, a homegrown inventory control system and a CRM system. "Looking at how it worked versus how Greentree works," says Daniels, "we probably should have done this years ago. Working with three stand-alone systems meant our staff had to continually re-key data. Not only did this waste a lot of time, it also increased the risk of human error."

Daniels says Epic needed a solution that could overcome these shortcomings and efficiently automate their business processes. "Greentree's integrated solution proved flexible enough for easy customisation," he says, "and clearly stood out as the best solution."

Asked to predict the impact the new software will have on Epic, Daniels says the internal value is going to be immediately impressive. "We're going to have to see how this all shakes out over time," he says, "but just viewing it from a standpoint of ease of operation and speed, it's much, much better than what we had before. The man-hours it's going to save in our general operation is going to be huge."

Epic identified a number of features specifically in Greentree that they were unable to find in other software Daniels says; "I think the biggest hurdle we had, and one of the features that really worked out really well, was the pricing on the fly. In other words, when we have consignment inventory, it's an inventory of zero dollars.

"The cost of that equipment is determined at the point of sale based on how much it was sold for and what the consigned revenue split is. We were able to customise Greentree so that it would realise that cost and plug it into the accounts at the point that the equipment is sold."

Commenting on the benefits of the integrated CRM module, Epic financial controller Debbie Putman says Epic's salespeople spend a lot of time on the phone talking to customers and providing them with quotes.  "With Greentree," she says, "we can do pricing on the fly and give salespeople the ability to immediately turn a quote into a booked order."

Putnam says Greentree provided the flexibility Epic needed, and because of its ease of customisation it overcame all the issues that had prevented them choosing other software. "When we looked at Greentree, it provided all the flexibility we needed in an accounting system based on our unique business structure."

For more information

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Greentree International  
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www.greentree.com

June 2003

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